A Study on the Level of Knowledge of Theology Faculty Students Regarding the Māturīdī School

Abstract

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to assess the knowledge levels of theology faculty students regarding the Māturīdī school of thought. The scale development process was carried out based on DeVellis’ model and within the framework of classical test theory. An item pool was generated through a literature review and expert opinions, and then evaluated in terms of content validity, resulting in a preliminary form. This form included both demographic questions about the students and items addressing knowledge of Māturīdism. The pilot implementation was conducted with students enrolled in faculties of theology across Turkey’s seven geographical regions. The exploratory factor analysis performed on the data indicated that the scale acquired a multidimensional structure under the main dimension of “Level of Familiarity with Māturīdism.” Within this validated structure, eleven sub-dimensions were identified: knowledge of Māturīdī epistemology, ontology, interpretive method, conception of God, understanding of prophethood, understanding of the divine book, understanding of angels, conception of faith, understanding of destiny, eschatology, and conception of caliphate (governance). Reliability analyses demonstrated that both the entire scale and its sub-dimensions possessed high internal consistency. The findings reveal that the developed scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring theology students’ fundamental knowledge of the Māturīdī school of thought. The scale can be employed both in evaluating the outcomes of religious education processes and in conducting comparative analyses of students’ knowledge of Islamic sects. In the forthcoming stages, confirmatory factor analysis will be conducted to further consolidate construct validity, and norm studies will be carried out with different samples.